As the U.S. federal government disinvests in most forms of clean energy, the rest of the world is moving on from fossil fuels. Here are my 10 favorite technology breakthroughs that, along with solar and wind power, are poised to redefine the energy sector before 2050. If these technologies do come to fruition, the countries that adopt them may save the world from climate collapse. They will be the shining cities on the hill, not the U.S.
1 – Advanced geothermal systems
A critical need for clean energy is 24/7 carbon-free power to complement intermittent wind and solar. Fervo Energy is developing a solution in this area by adapting technologies from the oil and gas industry, like horizontal drilling and fiber-optic sensing. This allows them to create artificial geothermal reservoirs. These reservoirs unlock geothermal energy beyond its traditional geographic limits and transform it into a scalable source of clean, base-load power capable of meeting the round-the-clock demands of the grid.
2 – Long-duration energy storage
A new class of energy storage is required to solve for extended periods of low wind or sun. Form Energy has developed an iron-air battery capable of delivering electricity for 100 hours at a fraction of the cost of lithium-ion technology. The system is built using abundant, low-cost materials—iron, water, and air—to store massive amounts of energy. This breakthrough enables a fully renewable grid by replacing the function of fossil fuel peaker plants, which are power plants that run only during times of peak demand for electricity.
3 – Advanced nuclear fission
Companies like Kairos Power are developing advanced reactors. The Kairos Power fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor combines meltdown-proof TRISO pebbles—a nuclear fuel—with a low-pressure molten salt coolant. This design features passive safety, where the laws of physics, not active operator intervention, ensure the reactor remains safe. If we can permit and build this efficiently, it will provide 24/7 clean power that’s cost-competitive with natural gas and solar.
4 – Green steel production
The steel industry accounts for up to 11% of global carbon dioxide emissions, primarily from its reliance on coal. The Swedish company Stegra is building the world’s first large-scale green steel plant, which will cut emissions by 95%. The technology replaces coal with green hydrogen produced on-site with renewable electricity in a process known as direct reduced iron (H2-DRI). If Stegra is successful, they’ll have created a viable blueprint for decarbonizing heavy industry.
5 – Electrified cement manufacturing
Cement production is responsible for about 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, a result of fossil fuel combustion and the chemical decomposition of limestone. Sublime Systems, a startup from MIT, has developed an electrochemical process that manufactures cement at ambient temperature. This approach uses renewable electricity to break down raw materials, completely avoiding both sources of emissions and offering a path to decarbonize the world’s most-used building material.
6 – Sustainable aviation fuels
For the hard-to-abate aviation sector, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is the most critical near-term solution. The industry is advancing along multiple pathways, including the alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) process championed by companies like LanzaJet, which converts ethanol into low-carbon fuel. Further down the road, the power-to-liquid (PtL) pathway promises a carbon-neutral fuel synthesized from captured carbon dioxide and green hydrogen. If this pathway works, it will offer a way to eliminate the climate impact of air travel.
7 – Direct air capture at scale
To address historical emissions, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, has deemed carbon removal unavoidable. Direct air capture is our best shot at pulling this off. Companies like Climeworks in Iceland and the modular-focused CarbonCapture Inc. in the U.S. are building large-scale facilities that use chemical processes to capture carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. The captured carbon is then permanently sequestered underground. Direct air capture is considered essential for counteracting historical emissions and for providing a solution for emissions from sectors that are hardest to abate.
8 – High-resolution methane monitoring
Methane is a greenhouse gas with over 80 times the short-term warming power of carbon dioxide, making its reduction the fastest way to slow global warming. MethaneSAT, a satellite mission led by the Environmental Defense Fund, is creating a new level of transparency. It combines high precision with a wide field of view to quantify total methane emissions across entire regions. It then makes this data publicly available, empowering regulators and the public to hold polluters accountable worldwide.
9 – Cellular agriculture
Raising cattle is a major driver of emissions, land use, and water consumption. Cellular agriculture offers an alternative by producing real meat directly from animal cells. Companies like Aleph Farms are at the forefront and have received the world’s first regulatory approval to sell cultivated steak. This technology decouples protein production from traditional farming, and as a result, drastically reduces the environmental footprint of meat and freeing up land for ecological restoration.
10 – AI for climate intelligence
Artificial intelligence is an enabling technology that may accelerate the entire net-zero transition. AI platforms from companies like ClimateAi provide hyperlocal climate risk analytics to help businesses adapt their supply chains. In the energy sector, innovators like BluWave-ai use AI to optimize the complex operations of a renewable-powered grid, forecasting supply and demand in real time. AI may act as a master optimization engine, enhancing reliability and accelerating decarbonization across all sectors. Expect many more developments in this area.
That’s all for now. Keep the faith, and do what you can, where you are.
Rich Marcello is a member of the Climate Initiative Committee. In writing his latest novel, “The Means of Keeping,” he spent several years researching the climate crisis.
